Table knife



Jan. 26, 1943. w v SEELY 2,309,219

TABLE KNIFE Filed July 2, 1941 INVENTOR I/V/ILTEBM 4E/JY ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 26, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TABLE KNIFE Walter V. Seely, Lynbrook, N. Y.

Application July 2, 1941, Serial No. 400,747

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in table-knives.

The common table-knife is provided with a blade which is considerably wider than the handle and which is of substantially uniform width throughout. Some table-knives have blades that curve gently as distinguished from those which have perfectly straight backs and cutting edges. The ends of table-knife blades are almost invariably rounded. The use of the ordinary tableknife in cutting food on a plate involves a very small part of the cutting edge of the knife, because the edge is substantially straight and because the knife must be held at an angle to the bottom of the plate to clear the raised edge of the plate.

Having in mind these features and characteristics of the common table-knife the primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved table-knife which has an extensive, substantially horizontal cutting edge when the knife is held at the usual angle while in use, thereby providing a greater cutting edge than the common table-knife.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved table-knife, the blade of which is adapted to effect two cutting actions in a single stroke.

Accordingly the improved table-knife of the present invention comprises a handle, and a relatively long, relatively wide blade fixed thereto, said blade having a cutting edge which includes two distinct, substantially straight cutting-edge sections at an abrupt large obtuse angle to each other.

The improved table-knife has other features and advantages as will be apparent from the following more detailed description thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

The single figure is a vertical side view of a table-knife embodying the features of the present invention.

Referring to the drawing the improved tableknife comprises a handle, which may be of any desired design, and a relatively long blade 2 joined to the handle at 3 by the usual means or method. The blade 2 may have a back of any desired thickness to provide the necessary rigidity, and is preferably rounded at the end 4 in the manner shown. The cutting edge of the blade 2 includes two distinct straight cutting-edge sections 5 and ii which meet at a distinct and abrupt angle at l. The angle at l of the table-knife illustrated in the drawing is about 162 degrees,

while the edges 5 and 6 are at angles of about 6 and 12 degrees respectively to an imaginary axis line through the center of the handle and blade.

In the use of the improved table-knife it will be noted that the cutting edge 6 will be substantially horizontal, with the knife at about the normal angle shown, so that it will engage the bottom of a plate or surface of the food thereon. At the same time the handle I and the edge 5 will clear the raised edge of the plate. As the knife is drawn to the right in cutting food on the plate the cutting edge 5 engages the food at the point 1 and above, and the cutting edge 6 will be simultaneously increasing the cut in the food. Both cutting-edge sections act at the same time and are both in cuttingengagement in a single stroke.

The cutting-edge section 6 gives the tableknife other useful functions ineating, because of its generally horizontal position. For example, food on a plate may be more effectively scraped into the desired position. The cuttingedge section 5 being at an angle to the center line or axis of the knife provides a much more effective cutting edge than that provided by the common table-knife.

While the angular relationships between the edge sections 5 and B and with the knife as a whole are preferably about as given above it is to be understood that some variation therefrom may be made and still obtain most of the benefits of the present invention. For example the angles of the edges 5 and 6 with respect to the longitudinal axis of the knife may be from 4 to 12 degrees and from 8 to 18 degrees respectively. The angle at 1 may vary from about to about 168 degrees. It is to be understood that the edge sections 5 and 6 may be as sharp as desired, and that the knife may be used for other purposes for which it may be adapted.

Having described the invention in its prefered form, what is claimed as new is:

l. A table-knife comprising a handle and a relatively long blade having a continuous cutting edge consisting of two end-to-end cutting-edge sections the edges of which meet at an abrupt internal angle of approximately 162 degrees, said cutting-edge sections being adapted to effect a simultaneous cutting action in a single pull stroke of the knife at the normal angle of use.

2. A table-knife comprising a handle and a relatively long blade having a cutting edge which includes two distinct cutting sections meeting at a large obtuse angle, the cutting edge of the section remote from the handle being at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the knife equal to its normal angle of use.

3. A table-knife as defined by claim 2 in which said acute angle is from about 8 to about 18 degrees.

4. A table-knife as defined by claim 2 in which said obtuse angle is from about 150 to about 168 degrees.

5. A table-knife comprising a handle and a blade considerably longer than the handle, the

blade having a single cutting edge including two distinct substantially straight cutting-edge sections which adjoin at an abrupt large obtuse andie being at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the knife which is equal to the normal angle at which the knife is held while in use in cutting food on a plate.

6. An improved table knife comprising a handle and a blade, the blade having a cutting edge including two straight cutting-edge sections the edges of which are at a large obtuse internal angle to each other, the cutting-edge of the sec- 10 tion remote from the handle being at an acute internal angle to the longitudinal axis of the blade, thereby providing an extended cutting edge when the knife is held at an angle to the thing to be cut.

WALTER V. SEELY. 

